Portable tent or cabana structure



Dec: 26, 1950 P. v. WILLIAMS PORTABuLE TENT OR CABANA STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 5l, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IOO .I O O Patented Dec. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,535,618 PORTABLE TENT oR CABAA STRUCTURE Paul Williams, Los Angeles, Calif; Application December 31, 1948, Serial No. 68,586 s claims. (o1. 13s-4.1i

`This invention relates to collapsible shelters, and more particularly to a collapsible tent or cabaa.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved collapsible tent or cabaa which is simple in construction, easy to set up, and which is foldable to a very compact condition- A further object of the invention Iis to provide an improved collapsible tent structure which `is inexpensive to manufacture, involves only a few parts requires no special tools to set up or to take apart, and whichmay be rapidly and easily set upor taken apart by a single person.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent 'from the following description and claims, and from the acco1npanyingr drawings, wherein: l

Figure l is a side elevational View, partly in cross-section, of a cabaa or tent structure constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional View taken on line 2--2 of Figure l..

Figure 3 is an enlargedcrosseectional detail View taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line i--ll or `Figure 2. A

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail View taken on line 5-`5 of Figure 1. i

Figure G is an enlarged perspective detail view of one of the corner brackets employed in the structure of Figure l and which acts as the means for securing the frame elements thereof together at the corner.

Referring to the drawings, the tent or cabaa comprises a covering of suitable waterproof inaterial, shown at II, which may be made of canvas or the like, which is supported on a collapsible frame, indicated generally at l2. The frame I2 is square in plan and comprises four corner brackets I3 to which are secured four horizontal side bar members Ill, as shown in Figure 2, and respective vertical supporting posts I5, as shown in Figure l. Referring particular-i5! to Figure 6, it will be seen that each bracket I3 comprises a square plete element it having secured to its top surface at a corner thereof the vertically rising angle member il Whose arms are flush with the side margins ci the plate element at said corner. Threaded diagonally into the corner of angle member I? and projecting; outwardly therefrom is the headed screw bolt I8. Secured to the bottom surface of plate niember I at said corner is the depending vertical `wing nuts 2 sleeve I s provided at its lower portion with a wing screw 2li.

Adjacent one edge, plate member I5 is formed with openings 2i, 2l, Adjacent another edge said plate member is formed with another pair of Openings 22, as shown in Figure 6. ljesignated` at 23 is an opening formed substantially in the center of plate member I.

As shown in Figure 2, each bracket ,I3 4is located at a corner of the frame I2., with its corner angle member il `positioned outwardly. rihe side bar members i-i secured to the plate members l ii in the manner shown inFigure 2, the ends of the bar members beingr received in the angle members I? and being secured by means of bolts passing through the bar members and the ree spective pairs of` openings 2i, 2l and `2i?, Z2 of the plate nemb rs, said bolts being provided with respective vertical corner posts i5 are received in the depending sleeves I9 or the brackets i3 and are locked thereto by the wing bolts as shown in Figure 4.

Designated at 2t is a diagonal horizontal bar member secured at its ends to diagornillyl oppcsedlbrackets 53 by `meansoi bolts 2i .passing through ends and through the central plate openings `23 of the brackets. Secured to the midportion of `diagonal bar member -263 by an `anchor screw `3 'i' is a vertical upstanding short post member Fast-erred in the top end of post member @28 -is a lheaded screw 29.

The covering i i is shaped to t over the frame I2. At the center of the cover it is `provided with an eyelet or grommet 3i) which receives the headed screw 2Q. At its corner portions, the cover II is provided with similar grommets 3l which receive the headed bolts i8. Along its upper side portions the cover I I is provided with a plurality of spaced additional grommets 32 which receive hooked screws 33 fastened to the respective sice bar members I and projecting outwardly therefrom.

In assembling the shelter, the side bar members I 4 are iirst fastened to the plate elements I6 of the brackets I3, as above described, by means of the bolts 24 and wing nuts 25. The diagonal bar member 26 is then bolted 'to diagonally opposed plate elements I6 by means of bolts 2l and wing nuts 25. The round corner posts I5 are then inserted in the sleeves I9 and se- 'cured thereto by means of the wing screws 20.

screws 33. The headed screw 29 of the center post 28 is then engaged in the center grommet 30 of the cover and said center post is then pushed upwardly and set down on the mid-portion of the diagonal bar member 26. The anchor screw 34 is then inserted upwardly through an opening provided therefor in the bar member 26 and is screwed into the bottom end of center post 28, thereby anchoring said center post in vertical position.

The shelter may be taken apart by following the reverse procedure.

Although illustrated in the drawings as merely providing a canopy or roof, the shelter may be employed as a tent or dressing room by providing suitable curtains on all four sides thereof, or by making the sides of the cover Il of sufficient length to extend substantially to the ground.

By employing curtains on all four sides of the frame and by omitting the top cover, the device may be employed as a sun bathing enclosure.

VWhile a specific embodiment of a collapsible shelter has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modication Within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as dened by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a shelter of the character described, a 'supporting bracket comprising a plate member formed with a square corner, an angle member secured to said plate member at said corner with its arms rising vertically from the edges of said square corner, and a sleeve member secured to the underside of the plate member at said corner and depending vertically therefrom.

2. A shelter of the character described, comprising a plurality of bracket members, each having a depending vertical sleeve and an inwardly facing upstanding corner angle, vertical post members respectively received in the depending sleeves of said bracket members, horizontal bar members received in the corner angles and connecting the bracket members to define a rigid polygonal horizontal frame, a cover of eXible material overlying said polygonal frame, and means detachably securing said cover to said frame.

3. A shelter of the character described, comprising a plurality of bracket members, each having a depending vertical sleeve and an upstanding inwardly facing corner angle, vertical post members respectively received in the depending sleeves of said bracket members, horizontal bar members received in said corner angles and connecting the bracket members to denne a rigid polygonal frame, a cross member connecting opposed bracket members, a vertical upstanding post element secured to the intermediate portion of said cross member, a cover of flexible material overlying the frame and supported at its inner portion on the top end of said post element, and means detachably securing the outer portions of said cover to the outer portions of said frame.

4. A shelter of the character described, comprising four bracket members, each having a depending vertical sleeve and an upstanding inwardly facing corner angle, vertical post members respectively received in the depending sleeves of said bracket members, horizontal side bars received in the corner angles and connecting the bracket members to define a quadrangular horizontal frame, a horizontal diagonal cross bar connecting diagonally opposed bracket members, a vertical upstanding post element secured to the intermediate portion of said cross bar, a cover of flexible materia-l overlying the frame and supported at its inner portion on the top end of said post element, and means detachably securing the outer portions of said cover to the outer portions of said frame.

5. In a shelter of the character described, a supporting bracket comprising a plate member, an angle member secured to said Yplate member with its arms rising vertically from the plate member, and a sleeve member secured to the underside of the plate member and depending vertically therefrom.

PAUL V. WILLIAMS.

REFERENCES CITED rI'he following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,413,529 Hansen Apr. 18, 1922 2,044,659 Adams June 16, 1936 2,232,306 Baldwin Feb. 18, 1941 

